🚀 New feature alert: Web-booker for ride-hail

Bike-sharing apps are reshaping urban mobility. What began as a practical way to get around without owning a bike is now part of a bigger shift toward sustainable transport. 

These services are doing more than replacing short car trips. They help cities cut emissions, reduce congestion, improve health, and connect better with public transport. 

As more cities rethink how people move, bike sharing continues to grow as one of the fastest and most affordable tools to support this change.

Why bike sharing is important

Bike-sharing services now operate in over 150 European cities, with more than 438,000 bikes in circulation. These systems help prevent around 46,000 tonnes of CO₂ emissions annually and reduce reliance on private cars in dense urban areas. They also improve air quality, lower noise levels, and make cities more pleasant to live in.

A recent study by EIT Urban Mobility and Cycling Industries Europe, carried out by EY, found that bike-sharing services generate around €305 million in annual benefits across Europe. This includes reduced emissions, lower healthcare costs, time saved from less congestion, and broader access to jobs and services.

For cities, the numbers speak for themselves: every euro invested yields a 10% annual return, generating €1.10 in positive externalities. By 2030, these benefits could triple to €1 billion if bike-sharing is prioritized.

Connecting with public transport

Bike sharing works best when it fits into the wider transport system. Most car trips that bike sharing replaces are short and often happen when public transport doesn’t quite reach the destination. That last kilometer between a bus stop and your home or office can be enough to make people choose the car instead.

Placing shared bikes near metro stations, tram stops, or bus terminals makes it easier for people to leave their cars behind. This “last-mile” connection helps more people use public transport for the long part of their trip and hop on a bike for the short part. Over time, that encourages more consistent use of both bikes and transit.

In cities where bike sharing is integrated into travel passes or mobility platforms, users can combine modes in a single journey. That flexibility supports wider access and makes shared bikes part of everyday mobility, not just something used occasionally.

What the app brings to the experience

The digital experience behind bike sharing is a big part of why it works. People can check availability, unlock a bike, pay, and end their trip – all in one app. This makes it quick, simple, and consistent.

Good bike-sharing apps also offer:

• Real-time vehicle status
• Contactless ID verification and onboarding
• Support for short trips and subscriptions
• Usage history and cost tracking
• Optional features like carbon savings or route suggestions

When users don’t need to think twice about how the system works, they’re more likely to build regular habits around it. That habit shift is what makes a long-term difference for both users and cities.

Wider city-level benefits

Bike sharing isn’t just a transport service. It helps cities meet public goals – cleaner air, lower traffic, healthier residents, and better access to services. When someone chooses a bike instead of a car, it reduces the demand for fuel, parking, and space on the road.

The €305 million annual benefit includes health savings due to increased physical activity, avoided emissions, time gained from reduced congestion, and the creation of jobs tied to fleet operations. Many bike-sharing schemes also improve equity by giving people access to mobility in areas that are underserved by public transport or where car ownership isn’t affordable.

Shared bikes are especially useful in mid-sized cities where distances are manageable and car traffic still dominates. With the right policy support, even small fleets can have a noticeable impact on mobility patterns and public health.

What makes a system work well

Not every bike-sharing system succeeds. To be reliable and scalable, a few things must work together:

• Safe, protected bike lanes
• Well-placed stations near high-demand areas
• Bikes that are easy to maintain and manage
• Operators that monitor usage and shift bikes to where they’re needed
• City policies that support cycling and reduce reliance on cars

Successful systems often grow in partnership with city governments, public transport agencies, and private operators who bring technology, logistics, and know-how.

The role of software and operations

Reliable software is what keeps all parts of the system connected. From unlocking a bike to seeing usage trends across the city, operators need tools that are stable, flexible, and easy to manage. For those launching or scaling a fleet, platforms like ATOM Mobility offer ready-made solutions that handle booking, payments, ID checks, live tracking, and fleet control in one place.

The platform supports both electric and mechanical bikes, offers branded apps, and integrates with smart locks or IoT modules for remote vehicle access. It also lets operators adjust pricing, monitor vehicle health, and manage customer support in real time. That means smaller teams can launch faster and scale smarter, without having to build every tool from scratch.

A small change with a big effect

Bike sharing won’t replace all car trips, but even a small shift makes a difference. A few short rides per week can reduce emissions, improve fitness, and save time spent in traffic. When these trips are supported by good infrastructure, public awareness, and seamless apps, the impact grows.

As cities continue to prioritise sustainability, shared micromobility will play a bigger role in helping people move in cleaner, healthier, and more flexible ways. With the right technology and planning, bike sharing becomes more than a service – it becomes a habit that supports better cities for everyone.

📊 One of the most requested features in ATOM Mobility is finally live. Meet Popular route heatmap - a new analytics layer that shows which streets and areas your riders actually use most, based on real ride data over time.

Until now, operators could see where rides start and end. Now you can see how people move in between.

Why it matters?

With Popular Route Heatmap, operators can:

🚲 Optimize vehicle placement based on real rider behavior

🏙️ Support discussions with municipalities using clear, visual usage data

📍 Identify missing infrastructure where demand already exists

📊 Make smarter, data-backed operational decisions

The feature was the #1 most upvoted idea on our merchant suggestion platform for years - and we’re excited to finally ship it.

How to use it
Go to Analytics → Heatmaps
Select heatmap type Popular routes
Filter by time period and city
Zoom in to see the busiest routes your riders take

Data availability: Popular route data is available from November 1, 2025 and will continue accumulating going forward.
Inspired by how athletes analyze movement patterns with Strava - now applied to shared mobility operations.